ver
going to increase his pension.

Submitted December 1, 1937
Indianapolis, Indiana

Ex-Slave Stories
District #5
Vanderburgh County
Lauana Creel

MEMORIES OF SLAVERY AND THE LIFE STORY OF
AMY ELIZABETH PATTERSON

The slave mart, separation from a dearly beloved mother and little
sisters are among the earliest memories recalled by Amy Elizabeth
Patterson, a resident of Evansville, Indiana.

Amy Elizabeth, now known as "Grandmother Patterson" resides with her
daughter Lula B. Morton at 512 Linwood Avenue near Cherry Street. Her
birth occurred July 12, 1850 at Cadiz, Trigg County, Kentucky. Her
mother was Louisa Street, slave of John Street, a merchant of Cadez.
[TR: likely Cadiz]

"John Street was never unkind to his slaves" is the testimony of
Grandmother Patterson, as she recalls and relates stories of the long
ago. "Our sorrow began when slave traders, came to Cadiz and bought such
slaves as he took a fancy to and separated us from our families!"

John Street ran a sort of agency where he collected slaves and yearly
sold them to dealers in human flesh. Those he did not sell he hired out
to other families. Some were hired or indentured to farmers, some to
stock raisers, some to merchants and some to captains of boats and the
hire of all these slaves went into the coffers of John Street, yearly
increasing his wealth.

Louisa Street, mother of Amy Elizabeth Patterson, was house maid at the
Street home and her first born daughter was fair with gold brown hair
and amber eyes. Mr. and Mrs. Street always promised Louisa they would
never sell her as they did not want to part with the child, so Louisa
was given a small cabin near the master's house. The mistress had a
child near the age of the little mulatto and Louisa was wet nurse for
both children as well as maid to Mrs. Street. Two years after the birth
of Amy Elizabeth, Louisa became mother of twin daughters, Fannie and
Martha Street, then John Street decided to sell all his slaves as he
contemplated moving into another territory.

The slaves were auctioned to the highest bidder and Louisa and the twins
were bought by a man living near Cadiz but Mr. Street refused to sell
Amy Elizabeth. She showed promise of growing into an excellent
house-maid and seamstress and was already a splendid playmate and nurse
to the little Street boy and girl. So Louisa lost her child but such
grief was shown by both mother and child that the mother was unable to
perfo